A Hard Journey Ahead
by Baekho0123
Summary: A widespread kidnapping plague the world of Pokemon, now the professors from all over the world banded together to help the survivors on the road to recovery and healing. Rating might change in the future. Rating might change in the future.


"**-And no one knows where the Champion Red of Pallet Town has disappeared off to! Although, there has been a rumor of him searching for a mysterious Pokémon hiding in some cave!**

**In other news, the authority is still on the search for members of Team Rocket, the infamous elusive criminal organization. There is still no leads on the whereabouts of their leader, THE Team Rocket Boss, Giovanni aka the now former Gym leader of Viridian City. The Ex-Gym leader/Criminal leader disappeared without a trace after his defeat by the Champion Red. But fear not, the unstoppable forces of all Officer Jennys across Kanto will not stop until they captured and arrest every single one of these criminal scum. Now, on a lighter note, we-"**

Professor Oak let the noise of the radio mulled in the background while gazing upon the beautiful rising sun over the horizon, blanketing the cold, sleepy land in its warm glow. The smell of crisp air and dried leaves as the trees turned into an array of orange, yellow, and gold. The grass is still wet and green, thanks to a few scattered drops of rains. Oak took a deep inhale as he walked across his ranch, his old work shoes crushing on the dew-covered grasses and rotted plants. A rather familiar, yet soothing sound of the fall. His hot cup of coffee in one hand, he took a few sips feeling the warm liquid of strong caffeinated drink warming his cold bones.

As beautiful his morning is, he couldn't stop thinking about the news. Like everyone else, he was shocked that the mastermind of the criminal organization was the Gym Leader of Viridian Gym. The monster lived in a city not far from Pallet town. A day days walk from here.

Oak scowled, glaring at the clouds in the sky. While he was happy Red defeated the bastard and disband the criminal syndicate. Oak wasn't very happy that Giovanni and his high-ranks associates managed to disappear and evaded justice. The family and friends of the victims, human and Pokemon, were even less happy. After the truth came to light, the Kanto civilians let out a huge uproar. Law enforcement received the worst criticism and onslaught from the media. They were criticized for being so incompetent that a mere eleven-year-old Pokemon trainer took down an high-organized and extremely elusive crime syndicate in the matter of few months. While the police forces barely come even close, and they had been searching for their base of operations and fighting them for years.

Many years of work wasted, many resources wasted, and so many lives were lost and never can be recovered again….including Satoshi's.

His fingers clenched tightly around the handle. Officer Jenny couldn't find any evidence that Team Rocket is responsible for Satoshi's disappearance or the mass kidnapping of children for the last few years. As she explains, abducting children isn't the TR's usual MO or the main focus on making a profit. Oak struggled not to think about the kind of people who would sell children for a profit.

"Enough thinking. Need to work. Pokemon need feeding, watering, and pampering."

Oak told himself as he guzzled down his now lukewarm coffee.

Sitting back to enjoy the quiet afternoon after finishing his morning chores and tending the Pokemon under his care, Oak is reading up pages from Prof. Fuji's journals. Red recovered them from the abandoned, burnt-up mansion on Cinnabar Island.

The books remained surprisingly in good condition, he was surprised that they somehow survived that great fire.

Reading all the past entries, learning more about the great man. All the discoveries and theories the great man stumbled upon. Then, he noticed the tone shift in the later entries, particularly the ones around the discovery of Mew's fossils and creation of Mewtwo.

His felt sadness in his heart as he understood why. No thought the cloning project was meant to revive his dead daughter. She was his light, he loved her so much. And her death has devastated him. It is ironic, the man who brought dead Pokemon back to life from simple fossil, and yet he couldn't bring his own daughter back to life. Because of the ethical and moral issues when it come to human cloning and human resurrection. Hell, there is still a debate going on about Pokemon cloning and resurrection.

The same old song and dance about going against nature and about stopping technological progress that would benefit humanity.

Despite Fuji has done great work, there are few who argued that he was a mad man who is playing 'God' for reviving creatures that have already died and that they were 'meant' to stay dead.

Siiigh. His mind is getting off track.

Oak returned to the book, as he read through the entries. One had caught his attention because of a certain _**name**_. His fingers clenched over the book cover.

**Entry: **

**It was one thing to bring back those who have already been perished, but altered them into something different than what nature intended?**

**But I must continue. I have come so far, I just can't give up now! If this project works, then I can bring my daughter back! Giovanni was generous with the funding to this project, I can't stop now!**

Oak snorted. Giovanni being generous?

**So far, the Cloning Project is proving to be successful. Giovanni was quite pleased. He also seem to be in a better mood than he was in the last few months. He didn't show it, but I can feel the tension from him. I wonder if it has anything to do with the 'other project'?**

Oak paused.

What other project?

Oak carefully read all the entries afterward, hell he re-read it few times making sure he didn't miss anything. But he found nothing. Except for that one line in that entry, Fuji never mention the other project again.

Oak thought about the man that Red met in Lavender Town, a man who called himself Mr. Fuji.

Maybe he should pay him a visit.

* * *

"Mr. Fuji sir! Dr. Yukinari Okido is here!" Reina announced, showing the old professor to the living room. Oak nearly facefaulted at his formal name.

"Please, young lady. You can call me Professor Oak."

"But does calling yourself Professor Oak is anything different than Dr. Okido? The kanji in [Okido] literally means [Big-tree family]." A bald elderly man greeted his guest with a smile.

"I felt Prof. Oak sound approachable for youngins, it sound righ ton the tongue. Plus, I felt that the oak tree suits me."

Fuji chuckled. "And it seem all the Pokemon professors all over the world adopted the name of the tree family that coincidentally matches with their original name."

Sometimes, he wonders if they had planned it from the beginning. Or maybe it is fate for those who has a tree in their name to be destined to be Pokemon professors….nah, they probably just changed their name to match the theme.

"Anyway, I was surprised to see you this early. I thought you couldn't make it until this weekend?"

Oak thanked Reina for the plate of freshly-baked crackers. "Actually, I want to discuss something with you." He pulls out an old book from his coat, it's covered in strains from the smokes and debris. Fuji was surprised to see one of his old journal somehow survived the fire and destruction of the mansion.

He waited patiently as the other turns the pages to one of the entries. "In this entry, you mention Giovanni."

Fuji flinched. "Yes, him."

Now he understands the other's concern, given the current news as of late. Thanks to Red.

"At that time, I honestly had no idea of what he truly was. I thought he was a Gym leader with a deep pocket and...intense ambition."

"Does his intense ambition included the 'other project' you mention in this entry?"

Fuji suddenly froze, his form stiffen and unmoved as if he became a statue. But Oak can see swirl of emotion in his eyes. He waited patiently as he watched Fuji sat quietly in his comfy chair until finally, Fuji hunches over, his hands clenched tightly together on his lap.

"...it was called Project: Pokemorph."

"Project….Pokemorph?"

"It was another project that had been going on for awhile, longer than the Cloning Project. But at that time...I...I.. in my selfishness, I didn't care about anything else besides finishing the cloning project...b-but I now I wish I did."

Oak frowned in worry as he watched the other elder professor bowed his head in guilt.

"...what was Project Pokemorph?" He finally asked, although he almost didn't want to asked to spare his friend's guilt. But something in him kept pushing him to ask.

"...it was a project of...turning humans into Pokémon."

Oak's eyes widened. Changing humans into Pokémon?!

"Is that even possible?!"

"Well, according to the rumors I heard through sip of tongues...it is possible, although the method and results were horrific."

Fuji took a deep breath. "I heard that they have been using...dead children to-"

Oak abruptly jumped out of his seat, "THEY USE CHILDREN, FUJI?!" He exclaimed in shock.

"Dead children, Okido-san…" Fuji sighed, looking away in guilt. "But, they were still children, regardless."

After living in Lavender town and attending their infamous Pokémon tower, he has obtained wisdom and respect for the dead. It had helped him move on from his own grief dealing with his own daughter's death. However, seeing the dead from all the unmarked graves reminded him of the dead children that monster used for his sick project. And he is a bigger monster when he did nothing about it until now. In fact, he had forgotten about it until the recent news of Giovanni's exposure. And the guilt that lurked deep in his heart has crawled out and seized his soul.

When he thought back on it, he realized that it was obvious of what was going on behind closed doors, the whispers, the strange guards coming in and out….the black bags they carried out and thrown away like trash. And few scientists he saw come and go. Few have accents, but he didn't care enough to paid attention.

….he didn't care.

Fuji buried his face in his hands, taking a deep, shaky breath. Oak just stood there, staring down at him. He wanted to yell, he wanted to curse out, and yet he just stood there his emotions paralyzed him in place.

Dead children….

He took a couple of deep breaths before falling back into his chair. Getting angry and upset won't get him anyway.

"I-...I'm so sorry, I-"

"Does this….does this prove that Team Rocket...that Giovanni is responsible for the widespread children snatching that had happened years ago?"

"...it seems to be too much of a coincidence….since the kidnappings had stopped after Mewtwo escaped the lab." Fuji replied gravely.

Oak swallowed a tight knot in his throat.

* * *

**Pokemon mansion - Cinnabar island**

Oak decided to personally investigated the abandoned mansion to search evidence...evidence to add to Giovanni's list of sin? Or to give him an answer he was desperately searching for?

But the question is ...would he like the answer?

He had recruited Cinnabar's Officer Jenny to accompanied him. Afterall, there have been some unsavory folks that hang out inside the deserted building. Plus, the building may not be stable for long.

"Are you sure about this Professor Oak?" Officer Jenny asked, she doesn't understand why he wanted to investigate the place. The place has been stripped clean from thieves and authority has already swept the place. They found noting except damages equipment and burnt rooms.

"An old friend of mine mention another lab under the lowest basement ...I need to know if it's true." Oak didn't mention Dr. Fuji's name since everyone assumed he had died during the accident in the basement that caused the infamous fire incident. He agrees to keep Fuji's identity a secret to let the old man lived in peace in a quiet little town in exchange for how to get to these underground labs.

Jenny was skeptic, but she kept it to herself and let the old man indulged himself.

Jenny's partner, a giant crobat named Val with a fluffy mane, followed them from behind. Val is a result of crossbreeding between a pureblood female crobat and a wild pokemon. Jenny doesn't know the father, all she knew that he was a wild Pokemon that Val's mother sneak off with for a week and came back pregnant. Val became bigger than her mother and other crobats, big enough to carry two full grown humans on her back.

Jenny's relatives joked that maybe a dragon pokemon knocked-up Val's mom. But which dragon has the fluffy mane?

"_**I don't see how wandering in some creepy, old building is any fun, Jun"**_ Val muttered to her partner.

When a bond between humans and Pokemon became so strong, both parties were able to understand and communicate with each other…..that and Val probably learn telepathy thanks to her lineage from her mysterious father?

"Aw, where is your sense of adventure? And besides, this place is alway crawling with thieves and troublemakers. And I need to relieve some stress."

"...I apologize for what the media said about you and your family." Oak gave her a sympathetic look. While, he was frustrated with the slow progress regarding the police investigation on the missing children, but he wasn't malicious enough to belittling them of their hard work and dedication. Giovanni was a crafty bastard and knew how to hide in plain sight.

Officer Jenny said nothing, just glaring ahead with her flashlight lighting up a dark hallway. It wasn't the professor's fault that the media knew how to fan the flames, and everybody wanted a scapegoat. Unfortunately she and her family are easy target given they are well-known family of police officers and have connection to the government.

Once they reached the lowest basement and started their search. Just as she expected, there are nothing here. Just damaged equipment, furniture, and debris.

Then she turns to confusion as she watched the elder professor started touching walls.

Val, however, understood why. Her sonar detected hidden entrances and rooms behind the walls. And why she never bother to tell her partner last time they were here?

Val loved her partner, she really do, but her partner lacked any sense of self-preservation when she is bored or when she wants to have a little fun. Val will not encouraged her partner's reckless venture to the area of the unknown. Or in this case, an abandoned building with unstable foundation that is just waiting to collapse.

"It should be...ah!" Oak tugged open a loose surface in the wall revealing a button. Like any sensible adult when encountered a mysterious button, he pressed it without thinking ...but nothing happen.

"_**...if this building had been abandoned, I highly doubt there will be any power left." **_Val grumbled. Jenny turns to her partner with a sly smile.

"So there are hidden rooms behind the walls~?"

"_**...yes."**_

"Well, would you be so kind to use Steel Wings, pretty pleeease~?" Jenny used her puppy eyes.

Val grumbled, her wings glowed white, with care and precision, Val slashes through the wall, revealing the hidden hallway.

"Ah, thank you, Val."

All three venturing into the dark, creepy corridor until they reached an old elevator and a stairway path. They took the stairs. Because why would anyone want to take the elevator in an abandoned building? That is an accident waiting to happen. Plus, no power.

Each step, the stairs groaned under their feet. And it's getting louder and louder, the platform becomes uneven and unsteady under their weight as the condition is getting worse.

When they reached the floor, they held their breath as they prepared for the worst.

**_"...wow, there is a whole lot of nothing." _**Val said in a dry tone as they observed the vast empty room there are thick layers of dust and debris covering the entire floor. The entire level is just as bad as in any other basements.

And yet, they felt something foul in the air.

Oak took the first step…

He let out a loud yelp when the floor give away underneath him. In chain reaction, the entire floor crumbled and fell into the abyss.

Val quickly snatched the elderly by the back of his lab coat in her jaws, pulling him up the stairs.

"T-Thank you."

"Okay, this is getting dangerous. Professor, maybe you should stay outside and set up camp while Val and I scout...whatever it's down there."

After that near-death experience, Oak reluctantly agreed.

* * *

Outside, Oak set up camp and watched Jenny and Val's movement through the GPS tracking device and cameras strapped on Val's head and Jenny's helmet.

"_Everything set, be careful." _Oak spoke to his ear piece.

"Always!"

"_**I doubt it." **_Val muttered as she lowered herself for her partner, letting the adult jumped on her back.

With a nose-dive, Val plunged into the darkness, she flinched as she hit a wall of foul odor in the face. Her eyes watered slightly, she heard her partner coughing and gagging.

Val screamed, using her sonor to scout ahead. She became surprise at the the sheer size of the room.

"_**Jun, this room is not a room! It is a freaking base! Hell, it is bigger than the mansion itself!"  
**_  
Jenny was shocked. How the hell did someone manage to build something that big without anyone noticing.

"Professor, according to Val. The floor below is a massive base, bigger than the mansion."

Professor Oak frowned in surprise, how did Giovanni managed to construct such a building underground?...that man had enough money, time, and patience, he could've easily build a whole city underground and no one will notice.

Then he heard Jenny sounded little faint.

"Hold on, it is getting hard to breathe, ugh, the air is very stale.." Jenny coughed, covering her mouth.

She and Val got hit in the face with another wall of foul air, but this time it was unbearably dry and there was this horrible stench of decay. They felt all moistures get sucked out of their eyes, face, and skins.

Val senses a surface is approaching, oh thanks Areus!

The giant bat landed with a huff, not one of her graceful landing, and startled as the ground underneath her crumbled followed by weird snapping sound and felt cold rocks or stones around her talons. She shivered and kicked one of the rocks and screeched at it in annoyance. But what her sonar picked up, revealing what she just kicked and it made her furs turned white, pale as ghost, when she saw it was a skull she just kicked.

"_**HOLY SHIT!"**_ Val screamed, jumping in the air all four wings flapping frantically flying backwards away from the skull.

"Val? Jenny? What's wrong?!"

Jenny pulled out a flashlight and flashed the light across the room.

"Oh my gods." Junsa gasped, slapping her hand over her mouth, choking on her scream as her ray of light revealed skeletons that littering the floor!

"Val, use Flash!"

Val summoned a shiny orb from her mouth and fired at the ceiling, the small orb grew and became a mini-Sun, brighten up the entire room in its intense light.

"Oh." Jenny's jaw went slack.

"My." Val whimpered.

"Spirits." Oak slapped a hand over his mouth, muffling a shaky gasp at what he saw caught on the camera.

Bones. Skeleton. So many skeletons. Few leathery scraps of flesh still clinging to the corpses. Hundred. Thousands. Millions lying everywhere. The entire floor is nothing but corpses. A mass grave.

The light revealed prison cells and more corpses resided inside!

That monster built a prison underground! He kept them locked up underground and left them to die!

Oak felt sharp rocks dropped in his stomach and felt light-headed. So many thoughts when through his minds and he couldn't hear them, they are just white noise as he watched helplessly on the screen as Jenny appoarched approached one of the corpses. An odd skeleton of leathery skins and bones. It had a torso of some armless human but below was equine-like.

They were able to turn humans into Pokémon...in someway.

Then he saw how Jenny placed one hand over one of the skull….the skull was so small it fit perfectly to her hand...the skull belonged to a child. Then the screen moved over the other corpses with similar sizes skulls.

They really did used children to...to…

Oak felt his eyes are burning, and yet he didn't shred a tear.

Countless of lives that Giovanni have stolen. These children who never had the chance to live. Never get to grow up. Never get to follow their dreams. Never get to see the world. Never get to experience life to the fullest….all because of one selfish, power-hungry man took it from them and he just throw it away. He he discard them like trash, letting them to rot under our feet.

Oak never felt so much hatred for one man, and the unbearable sadness crushing his soul that he had failed. Not just Satoshi, but many others.

Satoshi...he...he is…...

Oak choked out a sob threatening to erupt from his tight, hoarse throat. He swallowed, taking few shaky breaths. He was ready to call Officer Jenny and Val back in. He was ready to thank them and apologized for what he put them through when a commotion caught his attention.

He frowned in worry as watched they are moving. Jenny is riding on her Pokemon and Val flew toward one one cells in the wall. What did they find?

Val and Jenny was exploding the prison, shuddering at the sight of so many bodies. The air became unbearable to breath in, slowly crushing their lungs. Val fires one last sonar before she choked, disgusted at the rotten taste on the tip of her tongue from the air.

However, she picked up something and she perked up in shock when she realizes what it was.

"_**Jenny…"**_

Her human perked at attention, probably trying not to look at the thousands of empty eye-sockets staring at her.

"_**Someone is alive in here." **_Val pointed at one of the cells on the upper floor.

Swiftly, Val flew up carrying her partner toward the cell and landed in front of the rusted door, the rails and floor let out a groan under her weight. Val swiftly cut through the lock with a steel wing, the door let out a soft screech as it opened ajar. Carefully, Jenny carefully pushing the door open, mindful of the floor and the debris in her way.

She gasped at what she found..

A small, naked, almost skeletal child. The body is still covered in flesh, full skins, muscles, hairs, everything!

Jenny kneeled before the body. Skins were just hanging off the bones, plaguing by many scars. Hundred of thin, pale streaks contrasting against the skin with unhealthy colored hue. She can count each vertebrates on the child's spines. Gently, she laid her gloved hands over the child's back. No reaction, not even a flinch.

She carefully pulls back the long unkempt shaggy hairs with one hand, and frowned when she saw some serial numbers branded in their neck. She barely read the numbers under the grimes.

052297

Jenny grew disgusted, she covered the offending numbers with her other hand. Gently, caressing over the neck.

Please, there be a pulse. Please, still be alive. But couldn't feel anything, so she gently pressed her ear against the tiny chest, desperately to hear anything. A heartbeat. Anything!

Meanwhile, Oak watched it all on screen. His hands clenching together as they pressed against his lips as if he was pray but he remain silence, watching tensely.

Please…

Please...be alive!

…._ba_..._**bump**_….

Out of nowhere, Jenny heard it. A single heart beat….and then another. And to her joy, she heard a very faint sign from the child's battered lips.

Val silently pulls out a thick blanket from Jenny's backpack, it made of the softest material on the planet but very durable. Jenny quickly but carefully wrapped the blanket around the child in a warm, protective cocoon. She held the child in her arms, nearly break down crying when she heard a soft whimpering from the bundle.

Gently, she pushed the dirty hair away from their face, revealing a face of a little boy.

* * *

Professor Oak collapsed on his knees, tears falling down his angular cheeks as he sobbed loudly, without shame as he stared at the screen, looking at his face.

Despite the scars, bags under the eyes, and sunken cheek, he looked the same as that day before he disappeared.

"I finally found you...Satoshi."


End file.
